Bottle-crowner



J. J. GAYNOR.

BOTTLE CROWNER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1919. 1,381,628.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

- .707172 JGa 7202" Patented June 14, 1921.

Patented June 14, 1921.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

J. J. GAYNOR.

BOTTLE CROWNER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. 1919.

" fful HZ j I fililiili I) I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. GAYNOR, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MEIER-GAYNOR MAN'U'- FACTURING 00., O1! INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

nor'rnn -cnownnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

Application filed July 5, 1919. Serial No. 308,807.

To all whomitmay concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J GAYNOR, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the .countyof Marion and State-of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Bottle-Crowner, of which the followis a specification.

is the object of my invention to provide a simple feed device for feeding bottle crowns to a crowning mechanism, and to prevent the feeding of a crown to such mechanism when the one .previously fed thereto has not been used.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crowner embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through such a crowner, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the lower end of the crowning head and the lower end of the feed chute; .Fig. 4 isa section on the line 4-4 of.

Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section on substantially the same line as Fig. 4, showing on alarger scale the crowning head and the discharge end of the feed chute; and Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the lower end of the feed chute, showing the crown-supporting ring of the crowning head as it approaches said feed chute.

A bottle-supporting table 10 is 'car'ried by a pedestal ll'suitablysupported on a base 12. Three vertical shafts 13, 14, and'15 project through this bottle-carrying table 10, and below such table are provided with intermeshing' gears 16, 17, and.18. respectively, which gears mesh to drive the shafts 13 and 15 in the same direction and the shaft 14 in the opposite direction, the shaft 15 rotating at twice the speed of the shaft '14 in, the arrangement shown. The shaft 13 is connectedby bevel gearing 19 to a horizontal surfaces of which are flush with the upper surface of the table 10; the disk 26 is a heavy disk, as it carries the bottle during the crowning operation, and is preferably provided with a hard rubber. plate 27 set in its upper surface on which plate the bottle stands while it is being crowned. The shaft 14 is provided above the table 10 with a transverse member 28, of any suitable shape, for engaging the bottle on its side and carrying it from the disk 25 to the disk 26 over the surface of the table 10. The bottles are guided in their travel by suitable fixed partltions 31, 32, andv33, shown in plan in Fig. 4. The bottles are fed on to the table 10 in any suitable way between the partitions 31 and 32,'and guided thereby on to the dlsk 25; which carries them in a counterclockwise direction into position to beengaged in a notch 34 on the transverse member 28; which member in turn slides the bottles onward over the table 10 in a clockwise direction about the shaft 14 and on to in constant engagement with the guiding partition 32; and the disk 26'carries the bot- 4 tles in a counterclockwise direction'while the crowning operation takes place, and delivers them crowned on to the table 10 and into a pocket formed by the partition 33, the two ends of which project over the disk '26 to guide the bottles into such pocket.

The "travel of the bottles on the disk 25 is controlled by a stop 40 which is suitably operated, as explained in my co-pending application Ser. No. 308,806, so that a bottle 1 1s released in proper time to be carried on-' ward by the disk 25 into engagement with the. notch 34.

A chute3O is supplied with bottle crowns from a hopper 50, from which the crowns are fed to the chute by any suitable-mechanism operated by a pulley .51 driven by a belt 52; from a pulley .53 on one end of a horizontal shaft connectedby bevel gearing 54 to the upper end of the vertical shaft 15. The upperend of thechute 30 may benearlyor quite vertical, and the crowns therein are in line one above the other, and rest upon one "another, as is clear from 1, 2, and' 3.

The lower end of the chute, however, is curved so that its free end is substantially horlzontal, so that the crowns at such"free end will lie horizontal with their open side downward. This lower curved end of the -'chute 30 is formed by a section 55, which is connection 57 between such pivoted section and a depending arm 58 from a small cam 59, which is carried by depending arms 60 from a main or large cam 61 from which the lower end of the fixed portion of the chute may also be supported. The pivoted section 55 of the chute is spring-pressed downward bya spring 62, and is provided with an end wall 63 which limits the movement of the crowns in the chute; and has a lateral arc-shaped chute-extension 64, the center of curvature of which is the axis of the shaft 15. This extension 64 is provided by a floor and side wallsonly, being open at the top, and a spring finger 65 projects obliquely downward through the open top to prevent the end crown in the chute from being moved along such lateral extension until it is positively pushed therealong, as is clear from Figs. 5 and 6. The floor of the chute'extension 64" is provided with a medial arc-shaped slot 66, also having the axis of the shaft 15 for its center of curvature. This slot permits a pin '67 carried by a crown-supporting ring 68 to engage the edge of the end crown in the chute to force such crown out along said chute-extension 64 as the ring 68, which is carried eccentrically on and rotates with theshaft 15 in vertical alinement with the bottle to be crowned, travels during such shaft movement. When the pin-67 has carried the crown to the end of the chute extension 64, such crown drops on'to such ring 68. Such ring has a vertical hole through it, with its point of smallest diameter below its upper surface, as is clear from Figs. 2, 3, and 6. This smallest diameter is too small to permit an uncrimped crown to pass through, so that whenxa crown drops on to the ring 68 it rests thereupon in the funnel-shaped part of-said hole above such point 'of smallest diameter; but this smallest diameter is' sufliciently large to permit the mouth and neck of a bottle to pass through it, and also to permit a crimped crown on the mouth of such bottle to pass through it.

. Sometimes, however, the ring 68 already has a crown upon it when it approaches the I cams, 69 which project laterallyfrom it near crown-chute, and then it is desired that it should not-receive another crown from the chute. fTherefore,-the pivoted section 55 of the chute is prowided with a pair of lifting its free end in the direction from which the rings 68 approaches it, .these two lifting cams being separated toact evenly on the crown'on such ring and to allow the pin 67 to pass between them and being curved to conform to the line of travel of such pin,

as is clear from Fig. 5. If the ring 68 as it approaches the crown chute has a crown 70 upon it, as indicated in- Fig. 6, such crown engages the two lifting cams 69, and lifts such cams and the pivoted section 55 upward to swing the pivoted section 55 about its pivotpin 56 so that the end crown in the chute will be out of the path of the pin 67 and of the crown on the ring 68 so that such ring will pass beneath the end of the crown chute without removing a crown therefrom. When the ring 68 has passed from beneath so the chute extension 64, the pivoted section drops to its lower position, determined by the pin-and-slot connection 57. This lifting of the pivoted section 55 only occurs when the ring 68 is carrying a crown as it approaches the crown chute.

- The shaft '15 also carries the crowning mechanism, for clamping on the mouth of the bottle the crown resting on the ring ,68. This crowning mechanism, the shaft 15, the disk 26, a pushing finger carried by the shaft 15 to engage the side of the bottle on such disk to hold it in proper position, the bottle, and the ring 68 all rotate together, with the bottle in vertical alinement with the crowning mechanism and the ring 68, and the crowning operation takes place as they-move. The details of :the crowning mechanism, per 86, form the subject-matter of my co-pending application Ser. No. 308,806, of even filing date herewith.

This crowning mechanism comprises a vertically movable crowning head 75, which is carried by a'sleeve 76 splined on the shaft 15, which sleeve also has'fixed thereon the crown-supporting ring 68. This crownin 1 head is provided with a lifting roller 7 which coiiperates with the main lifting cam 61 to raise the sleeve and the parts carried thereby during one part of the rotation of the shaft 15, and with a depressing roller 7 9 which at one point of the rotation of the shaft 15*the point of maximum compression and the low point of the cam 61pa'sses beneath a roller 80 on the end of a pivoted arm 81 spring-pressed downward by an adj ustable spring 82. The head 75 is provided at its lower end with a movable throat member '83 having a cone-shaped throat or opening therethrough, which @throat during the crowning operation engages the corrugated edge of the crown on the bottle mouth and 'crirnps such edge inward beneath the bead on "the plunger and a shoulder 87 on the interior ofthe crowning head upon a predetermined relative movement between them, so that when such parts are in engagement the continued downward movement of the crowning head produces a positive downward action onthe plunger. The plunger 84.- has a laterally projecting pin on which is mounted aroller 88, which coiiperates with the small cam 59 to raise the plunger 84: within the head 75 as the latter passes over the end, of the pivoted section 55 of the chute, for such endlies close to the shaft 15 so that it passes between such head and the ring 68 as such parts move in the rotation of the shaft 15. The cam 59 is properly shaped to produce this lifting action on the plunger 84, for clearance between the chute and the plunger.

The bottle to be crowned is carried on by the shoulder 34 on to the disk 26 at the proper time to be received on the hard rubber plate 2? and in vertical alinement with the ring 68 and the plunger 84, and is carried forward in such position by the rotation of the disk and the pushing action of the finger 7i). The bottle reaches this position about at the time the ring 68 is passing out from beneath the chute-extension 64:, as is clear from Fig. 4, so that the ring 68. has upon it a crown which it received from the chute as it passed thereunder in the last or some preceding revolution. At this time the crowning head is at substantially its highest point, by the interaction of the cam 61 and lifting roller 77. As the shaft 15 continues to rotate, the crowning head 7 5 is started on its downward movement the ring 68 and all the parts carried by the sleeve 63 moving with it. As these parts move downward, the bottle remaining vertically stationary on the disk 26, the ring 68 passes down around the mouth of the bottle, and such' mouth lifts from the descending ring the crown which the latter is carrying, while the ring goes on downward on the bottle neck toward the dotted line position shown .in Fig. 2. As themouth of the bottle thus receives its crown,

the action of the small cam 59 and the descending movement .of the sleeve 63 and the parts carried thereby bring the plunger 84 into engagement with the top of the crown; and as the head 7 5 continuesto descend, the

plunger 84 is pushed relatively upward within the crowning head and thehconical throat in such head engages and crimps inward the edge of the crown around the bead on the bottle month, while the downward pressure of the plunger compresses the cork lining of the crown. This downward pressure at the last is a positive pressure. by reason of the engagement of the collar 86 and'shoulder 87 so that a positive compressing action of the crowning head on the cork lining of the crown is obtained, This makes an airtight dotted lines in Fig.2, and the degree'of compression of the cork lining is controlled by the adjustment of the spring 82. The roller 77 separates from the cam 61 during this final action, to allow the free action of the spring 82. After the crowning is complete, the cam 61 again engages the roller 7 7 to lift the head-75 and with it the sleeve 63 and the ring 68, so that the crowning head and the compressing plunger are separated from the crowned bottle and the ring 68 is removed from around the neck of the bottle, the crimped crown-on the bottle passing freely through the opening in such ring. The crowned bottle is carried by the rotating disk 26 into the opening between the ends of the partition 33, and delivered intothe pocket for the crowned bottles,'which may be removed from such pocket as desired.

The normally stationary parts, such as the cam 61, the hopper 50, and the chute 30, are

vertically adjustable for diiferentheights of bottles, To this end, they are all carried by a vertically adjustable frame 90, which is provided with two sleeves 91 vertically slidable on two vertical screws 92, on which there are hand-wheel nuts 93 engaging such sleeves 91 at top and bottom to produce such vertical adjustment. The bevel gearing 54.

any suitable container, and not' to limit myself to containers with necks and mouths smaller than their bodies; and by the term crown I intend to include other covering and capping devices than those with corrugated edges.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a .crowner, the combination of a crown chute having a movable discharge end, crowning mechanism movable past said chute. said crowning mechanism being provided with crown-supporting means arranged to remove a crown from'said chute as it passes thereby. and means on said chute for cotiperating with a crown on said crownsupporting means if the latter bears a crown as it approaches said chute for moving thecrown supporting means.

2. In a crowner, the combination of a crown chute having at its discharge end a pivoted section in the discharge end of which a crown lies horizontal, said pivoted section being arranged to have a vertical swinging movement and being provided with a lateral discharge outlet, a rotating shaft carrying a crowning head and a crown-supporting ring in alinement with each other and arranged by therotation of the shaft to pass respectively above and below the discharge end of sad chute, means on said ring for removing a crown from the lateral discharge openingof said chute as the ring passes beneath the chute, and means on said chute for cooperation with a crown on the ring if the latter carries a crown as it approaches the chute for lifting said pivoted end portion of the chute out of position to have a .crown removed from it by the ring passing beneath it.

- 3. In a crowner, the combination of acrown chute having at its discharge end a pivoted section in the discharge end of which a crown lies horizontal, said pivoted section being arranged to have a vertical swinging movement and being provided with a lateral discharge outlet, a rotating with an upwardly projecting shaft carrying a crown-supportin member arranged to pass beneath the discfiarge end of said chute as the shaft rotates, said crown-supporting member being provided finger arranged to eng e a crown 1n said chute and to remove it t rough said lateral opening on to said crown-supporting member as the latter passes beneath said chute, a spring retaining-finger vfor holding against accidental removal from said chute the crown which is in readiness for removal, and a cam projecting from said pivoted section on the. side from which the crown-supporting member approaches it for engaging a .crown on said member and lifting said pivoted section so that the end crown therein will be out of the path of said pin if said member has a crown upon it as itapproac'hes said chute.

4. In a crowner, the combination of a crown shute having at its discharge end a plvoted section in the discharge end of which a crown lies horizontal, said pivoted sectionbeing arranged to have a vertical swinging movement and being provided with a lateral discharge outlet, a rotating shaft carrying a crown-supporting member arranged to pass beneath the discharge end of said chute as the shaft rotates, said crown-supporting member being provided with an upwardly projecting finger arranged to engage a crown in said'chute and to remove it through said lateral opening on to said crown-supporting member as,

the latter passes beneath said chute, and

a cam projecting from said pivoted section p'roaches -said chute. f

on the side from which the crown-supporting member approaches it for engaging a crown on said member and lifting said pivoted section so that the end crown therein will be out of the path of said pin if said member has a crown upon it as it approaches said chute.

' 5. In a crowner, the combination oi a crown chute having at its discharge end a pivoted section in the discharge end of which a crown lies horizontal, said pivoted section being arranged to have a verticalswinging movement and being provided with a lateral discharge outlet, a rotating shaft carrying a crown-supporting member arranged to pass beneath the discharge end of said chute as the shaft rotates, saidcrow'n-supporting member being provided with an upwardly projecting finger arranged to engage a crown in said chute and to remove it through said lateral opening on to said crown-supportin member as the latter passes beneath said 0 ute, a sprin retaining-fingerfor holding against acci ental removal from said chute the crown which is in readiness for removal, and a pair of cams projecting from said pivoted section on the sidefrom which the crown-supporting member approaches it and lying on opposite sides of the pathofsaid. pinfor engaging 9 a crown on said member and lifting said pivoted section so that the end crown therein will be outof the path of said pin if said member has a crown upon it as it approaches said chute. V

6. In a crowner, the combination of a crown chute having at its discharge end a pivoted section in the discharge end-of which a crown lies horizontal, said pivoted section being arranged'to have a vertical swinging movement and being provided with a lateral discharge outlet, a rotating shaft carrying a crown-supporting member arranged to pass beneath the discharge end of said chute as the shaft rotates, said crown-supporting member being provided with an upwardly projecting finger arranged to engage a crown in said chute and to remove it gaging a crown on said member and lifting said pivoted section so that the end crown therein will be out of the path of said pin if said member has a crown upon it as it .ap-

7. In a crowner, the combination of acrown chute, a" vertical rotating shaft, a

sleeverrotatable with said shaft but movable longitudinally thereon, a crowning head and a crown-supporting member .mounted the discharge end of said chute, means on said shaft for supporting a bottleto be crowned, and means for movin said sleeve longitudinally of the shaft as t e latter rotates to cause said crown-supporting member to deposit its crown on the mouth of the bottle and said crowning head to fasten such deposited crown to the bottle.

8. In a crowner, the combination of a crown-supplying chute, a rotating shaft, a crowning head and a crown-supporting member carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith and spaced apart vertically so that as the shaft rotates they pass respectively above and below the discharge endof said chute, a bottle-supporting member also carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith, said crown-supporting member} being .arranged to receive a crown from said chute as said shaft rotates and said crown supporting member passes under the discharge end of said chute, and means for producing a relative movement between said bottle-supporting member and said crowning head and crown-supporting member as the shaft rotates for causing the crowmsupporting member to deposit its crown on'the mouth of a bottle on said bottle-supporting member and such crowning head to fasten such crown to the bottle. a N

9. In a crowner, the combination of a crown \chute, a rotatable shaft carrying a crowning head and a crown-supportlng member which are rotatable with'the shaft but longitudinally movable thereon and spaced apart vertically so that as the shaft rotates they pass respectively above and below the discharge end of said chute, and

-- stationary camming means for moving said crowning head and said crown-supporting means so that as they pass the chute the crowning head passes above and clears the chute and the crown supporting member passes below said chute.

10. In a crowner, the combination of a crown chute, a rotatable shaft carrying a crowning head and a crown-supporting member which are rotatable with the shaft but longitudinally movable thereon, and stationar cammin means for movin said.

-crown1ng head and said crown-supporting means so that as :they pass the chute the crowning head passes above and clears the chute and the crown-supporting member passes below said chute, the discharge end portion of said chute being vertically movable, means on said crown-supporting member for removing a crown from said chute as is passes thereunder, and means operated by the presence of a crown on said crown-supportlng member as the latter approaches said chute for lifting the end section of said chute so that the crown therein in readiness for removal is out of the path of said crownremoving means.

- 11. In a crowner, the combination. of a crown-chute having a discharge end in which a crown lies horizontal, a rotating shaft, a crowning head and a crown-supporting member rotatable with said shaft and spaced apart vertically so that as the shaft rotates they pass respectively above and below the discharge end of said chute, said crowning head including a throat member for crimping the edge of the crown and a compressing plunger for engaging the top of the crown and pressing it on the bottle month, said throat member and said plunger being relatively movable, said parts being arranged so that as the shaft rotates said chute crown-supporting member, and a cam for cooperating with said plunger for, lifting it as it passes said chute so that it will clear the latter.

12. In a crowner, the combination of a crown chute having a discharge end in which a crown lies horizontal, a crown-supporting member movable transversely of the chute beneath the crown in the end of said chute, said chute being provided with a lateral discharge opening at its discharge end, and means on said crown-supporting member for removing a crown from said discharge opening and letting it drop on said member as said member passes Sald chute.

13. In a crowner, the combination of a crown chute in the discharge end of which a crown lies horizontal, said chute being provided with a lateral discharge outlet, a rotating shaft carrying a crowning head and a crown-supporting ring in alinement with each other and arranged by the rotation of the shaft to pass respectively above and below the discharge end of said chute, and means on said ring for removing a crown from the lateral discharge opening of said chute as the ring passes beneath the chute.

14. In a crowner, the combination of a crown chute in the discharge end of which a member which by the rotation of the shaft 1 passes beneath a crown in the discharge end of sald chute and removes such crown therefrom.

1 5. In a crowner, the combination of a crown chute in the discharge end of which a crown lies horizontal, said chute being pro vided with a lateral discharge outlet, a rotating shaft carrying a crown-supporting member which by the rotation of the shaft crown-supporting member and fasten such. 7 passes beneath a crown in the discharge end crown to the bottle. of said chute and removes such crown there- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 10 from, and a crowning head and a bottle-supmy hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 19th 5 porting member arranged to cooperate with day of June, A. 1). one thousand nine hunsaid crown-supporting member to transfer dred and nineteen. to the mouth of a bottle a crown on said JOHN J. GAYNOR. 

